Groundwater will usually contain more which of the following?

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Multiple Choice

Groundwater will usually contain more which of the following?

Groundwater commonly dissolves minerals from surrounding rocks as it moves through soil and rock. In aquifers that have carbonate rocks, water interacting with those minerals dissolves calcium and magnesium carbonates, releasing calcium and magnesium ions that raise water hardness. The same dissolution process also produces bicarbonate, a major component of groundwater alkalinity. Because of this mineral dissolution, groundwater in many areas is rich in hardness and bicarbonate. Other options can occur in specific conditions—chloride and overall salinity tend to be higher where seawater intrusion or pollution adds salinity; nitrates and phosphates come from agricultural or waste sources; iron and manganese can be present in some wells—but hardness and bicarbonate are the most typical, widespread characteristics in groundwater.

Groundwater commonly dissolves minerals from surrounding rocks as it moves through soil and rock. In aquifers that have carbonate rocks, water interacting with those minerals dissolves calcium and magnesium carbonates, releasing calcium and magnesium ions that raise water hardness. The same dissolution process also produces bicarbonate, a major component of groundwater alkalinity. Because of this mineral dissolution, groundwater in many areas is rich in hardness and bicarbonate.

Other options can occur in specific conditions—chloride and overall salinity tend to be higher where seawater intrusion or pollution adds salinity; nitrates and phosphates come from agricultural or waste sources; iron and manganese can be present in some wells—but hardness and bicarbonate are the most typical, widespread characteristics in groundwater.

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